“There were hurdles, things she didn’t trust about me, things I didn’t trust about her. I just kept going back to ‘This person has the thing I want, and I have to figure out how we can exist peacefully.’ So we started [seeing a therapist together] right away,” the 40-year-old Shepard told the magazine.

Realizing that people aren’t worried about seeking help for so many other aspects of their life, they sought guidance for what was most important to them.

“You do better in the gym with a trainer; you don’t figure out how to cook without reading a recipe,” said Bell, 34. “Therapy is not something to be embarrassed about.”

They hoped to address any issues before they presented serious problems in their relationship.

“I noticed an actor and her husband on [a recent cover of a celebrity tabloid] that said ‘In Couples Therapy!’ The clear message is, ‘Oh, their marriage is ending.’ There’s such a negative connotation. In my previous relationship, we went to couples therapy at the end, and that’s often too late. You can’t go after nine years and start figuring out what patterns you’re in,” Shepard said.

It seems to be doing the trick, too — the “Veronica Mars” star and “Parenthood” actor started dating in 2007, and wed in October 2013. They have two daughters, 2-year-old Lincoln and 5-month-old Delta.